If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

2013 NBA Draft

Next years draft class may be weak overall, but its one strength is it's big men!! I think that we just need a placeholder at center for this year and then we can grab one in the draft. I mean, we are rebuilding. Th

The top centers for next years draft class are (If they all declare for the draft) Cody Zeller, Nerlens Noel, Isaiah Austin, Rudy Gorbet, and Steven Adams. We should take one of these players if we have a lottery pick.

6-11 PF/C Nerlens Noel: Nerlens Noel is being seen as Anthony Davis, if he were a center. He is a shot blocking menace, he's going to UK, and he has a signature look. His offensive game is not as strong as Davis's, but he is regarded as an arguably better shot blocker. This is crazy considering Davis was just the NCAAB Defensive Player of the Year. If the Hornets got high enough in the lottery, they could get Noel, and with him, potentially one of the most defensively dominant front courts in the history in the NBA.

6-11 PF/C Cody Zeller: Cody Zeller is one of the top players to return to college for a sophomore campaign. If he had come out in this years draft, he would have been a lottery pick. What sets Zeller apart is that he is a great passer for his position and can shoot the ball very well also. Cody, like his brother Tyler, runs the floor at an elite level. He has a high I.Q. and is very quick. He would be a great pairing next to Davis because of how advanced his offensive game is. Him and Noel would make a dominant duo for many years.

7-1 C Rudy Gorbet: Rudy Gorbet is this years top international prospect. He impressed many scouts in the French U-20 vs the Eurocamp Allstars game. Gorbet posses a high motor and a HUGE 7-9 wingspan!!! He runs the floor well and has very good hands for a man his size. He is a good rebounder and leaper. Let's just say that if the Hornets drafted Gorbet to pair up with Davis, they would have a long front court.

7-0 C Isaiah Austin: Austin is a true 7-footer with a rare combination of ball skills and great mobility. Offensively, he possesses a versatile skill set because he can make plays on the perimeter, has range on his jumper out to 19 feet, and can drive to the basket. He also demonstrates a jump hook with soft touch and good extension that few can challenge. Defensively, he is a presence in the paint, blocking shots and protecting the rim. Davis and Austin would make an interesting pair, seeing as they are both similar players.

6-11 PF/C Steven Adams: Adams is a physical specimen. He's an amazing rebounder, using his athletic prowess, incredible strength and strong hands. He has a soft touch around the basket and can run the floor very well. He uses his long arms and strength to bully opposing players, on offense or defense. Adams would be a great pair with Davis, because he could bring that physicality that Davis doesn't have.

If we could get one of these players, our front court would be set for years.

Davis is an all-timer of a shot blocker at the major college level. Saying Noel is at that level is presumptuous at best, we'll see how it plays out but I doubt it. I do like what I've heard about Steven Adams as a complement to Davis and Cody Zeller is a bonfire best. Hated his brother as a prospect but love him.

Then say that. That way it's Anthony Davis' hyperbole, not yours. Or say he's better-regarded than Anthony Davis was as a shot-blocker at the same point. But saying Noel is going to be a better shot-blocker than one of the greatest ever in college is only slightly less ridiculous than me saying Davis is better than Tim Duncan because he had a better freshman season. I don't care if Davis said it or not.

The might Noel has never averaged more than 3.9 blocks in high school.

Davis averaged 7, as well as his 33 points and 22 rebounds per game.

Davis averaged a full block more IN COLLEGE than Noel's best year IN HIGH SCHOOL. Noel might be bouncier (though not by much if at all), but he doesn't have half the motor or half of the defensive instincts of Davis, nor close to the same offensive skills.

So the argument in 'arguably ' is that Jeff Goldman said it, so it's true? This is hyperbole season in the draft world. Their write ups will invariably be more positive than they will be ten months from now. Personally, I don't see what makes Noel a C and Anthony Davis not a C. Noel is half an inch taller, has a shorter wingspan, and is even lighter than Davis. I'd rather a strong 7 footer with a more developed inside game to complement Davis, who I see developing more of a face-up game in the NBA.

He plays Center that's his natural position and Davis's natural position is PF. I was just stating an analyst who said that Noel is an amazing shot blocker, one who has watched Noel much more than you. Noel's wingspan is the same (Both 7-4) and Davis has had a year of a college weight lifting program. I was just stating the top big men in next years draft, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how they would fit in with Davis. I never said that Noel would be the best pairing with Davis.

He plays Center that's his natural position and Davis's natural position is PF. I was just stating an analyst who said that Noel is an amazing shot blocker, one who has watched Noel much more than you. Noel's wingspan is longer (Noel's is 7-5 and Davis's is 7-4) and Davis has had a year of a college weight lifting program. I was just stating the top big men in next years draft, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how they would fit in with Davis. I never said that Noel would be the best pairing with Davis.

What I was pointing out was that there's a widely held perception that this guy is a pure center and Davis is a PF, yet physically they're very similar. The strength concern which is widely stated for why Davis needs to play PF is going to be there for Noel as soon as he matches up with one of the Festus Ezelis of the world. And the wingspan numbers you stated are incorrect per DX. Davis measured 7'5.5" wingspan in Chicago; DX's number for Noel is 7'4". Noel's standing reach is 1.5 inches better, though. It's quibbling, but I don't get why Noel is a Center and Davis isn't except that Noel hasn't been pushed around by a guy who has 50 pounds on him yet.

I actually appreciate the post. I was discussing my take on the pairing. And you're right that Goodman has seen more of Noel than me as has anyone who has seen more than 2 highlights. It'll be interesting to see how his freshman year goes, but I'd be willing to bet quite a large sum his block/foul ratio oesn't come close nor will his total blocks. There have been a ton of great big men to play as freshman. The last as good as Davis was Ralph Sampson.

Noel has been known as a PF/C not a pure C, which is what it should be. I agree that he won't be playing C full time. I personally don't think that Noel will have better numbers than Davis, I took that part from a large amount of recruiting analysts have said. Noel won't be as good, but his shot blocking "could" be as good.